An Unexpected Christmas Gift
by Reese M
Summary: Peggy Carter comes home on Christmas Eve to find an unexpected Christmas gift waiting for her. One that will change her life, as well as her family, forever. This is an AU fic, the timeline is out of whack in order to make my ideas work, and this is also a Carternelli fic.
1. Chapter 1

I've always been intrigued by the idea of Peggy and Natasha and the kind of relationship they might have. I tend to lean towards a mother/daughter kind of thing. This is just one of many ideas I've been kicking around and thought I'd see where it went.

* * *

To say she was surprised to see the name Dottie Underwood appearing in reports again would have been an understatement. It had been years since Margaret 'Peggy' Carter, founder and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D had seen any reports of activity about her former rival, the Russian operative known as a Black Widow. If Peggy were honest with herself she'd admit that she had thought the tall blonde Russian assassin was dead, and if she were really being honest with herself she would admit to feeling a sense of relief at the possibility that she wasn't. Peggy had a complicated and complex relationship with the Black Widow, one that flooded Peggy's memory as she continued reading over the field reports. A rundown room on the top floor in the back of a shady hotel in Istanbul clouded Peggy's thoughts wither she wanted it too or not.

_The air was hot, and thick with humidity, the faux leaf ceiling fan above her head did little more than to send hot currents of sweltering air over her flushed, sticky with sweat and grimy skin. Her muscles ache with a pleasant kind of soreness and there would be bruises come morning. Dark eyes tracked the lethal blonde as she moved around the room gathering up her clothes. A wicked grin tugged at smudged red lips every time that dark eyed gaze fell upon a set of red marks left by fingernails, a dark mark left by lips, or a scarlet handmark left behind as a reminder of who was truly in control._

"_Must you always look so smug." The woman hissed in annoyance as she pulls her slacks up over hips with fingertip sized bruises dotting her otherwise flawless skin. _

"_Yes." Comes the English accented reply. _

"_I hate you." The other woman replies. _

_Peggy smiles. "Isn't that what makes this all the more delightful?" _

_That made the blonde laugh. "If I'd known you'd turn out to be such a little minx, Margaret, I'd have helped you pull that stick out of your ass years ago." _

_Peggy rolled her eyes. "Are you going to untie me now?" _

_Dottie smirked. "Are you going to try to arrest me?" _

"_You are a wanted international criminal." Peggy replies. "And I am the director of an international law enforcement agency." _

"_Then you can untie yourself." Dottie smirks, then walks over and leans down, her bright blue eyes shining merrily as she looks into Peggy's big doe eyes. "Now kiss me goodbye, __Peggy dear."_

It always ended the same way. Dottie would ask for a good-bye kiss, and then either Peggy would arrest her and she'd escape once out of Peggy's custody, or Peggy would end up tied to something and kissed unconscious. It really was a very complicated relationship, and a dangerous one, but if not for Dottie, Peggy's life could have ended up quite different. If not for Dottie and an unexpected night where their fighting turned to other physical activities, Peggy might have stayed in California. She might have settled for a good man rather than seeking out the feelings Steve had once stirred up in her because the person who made her feel that way had been another woman. An outgoing, smart mouthed, strong as steel, but gentle as silk woman who was expecting Peggy to be in the front row of her Christmas musical spectacular that evening. So Peggy put her files away and secured her office before gathering her things to leave for the evening. Dottie clearly wanted to be seen so that it would get back to Peggy that she was back, and since Peggy knew she would eventually make her grand reappearance sometime soon, she didn't worry too much about trying to track the assassin down. Stepping out of her office Peggy wished her assistant, Rose, a goodnight and a Merry Chsirtmas, and then made her way out onto the chilly streets of New York.

While she had finished her holiday shopping ages ago, Peggy still needed to stop and pick up a few last minute things because her darling Angie was a terrible snoop. She was fairly certain her girlfriend was already well aware of the cranberry colored glass baking set wrapped and hidden in the closet of Peggy's study, and about the new dress she'd gotten her while in Paris that Peggy couldn't wait to see her wear for Howard's New Year's Eve party, that was also subpostily hidden away. So Peggy had no choice but to last minute shop if she was going to genuinely surprised her love. She already knew what she was going to get, she simply needed to stop at the jewelry store on her way home.

Stepping into the home she had made with Angie, a beautiful brownstone in a bit of a bohemian neighborhood where people wouldn't ask to many questions about two single women living together, Peggy slipped out of her heavy winter coat, hanging it in the foyer closet before toeing off her shoes and shutting the door. She had just enough time for a quick shower before she would have to get dressed and head to the theater, but first a nice cup of tea to chase away the winter chill. The moment Peggy walked into the dimly lit living room on her way to the kitchen, she froze. She wasn't alone. Her hand went to the hem of her skirt, ready to pull the small pistol strapped to her thigh.

"Hi ya, Peggy." A familiar voice called out softly from the direction of the sofa.

Peggy moved slowly, cautiously, towards the lightswitch on the wall near the doorway. When the light came on in the room, she wasn't surprised to see Dottie sitting on her sofa, but she was startled by the way the other woman looked. Dottie looked unwell, her skin was pale and pasty, she had dark circles under her eyes, and her body trembled ever so slightly. Peggy's years of experience was telling her that the other woman had probably recently lost a lot of blood, and that she would be unsteady on her feet if she stood up, but that in no way meant she was going to let her guard down. Even injured Dottie was lethal. "Dottie." She greeted as she cautiously moved towards the other woman. "It's been awhile."

"My fault I'm afraid." Dottie replied, a sad pout on her pale lips as her blue gaze followed Peggy's every movement. "Got in over my head for awhile, but it'll be alright soon."

"Are you injured?" Peggy asked as she looked the woman over for any hints of a bleeding wound or broken bone. "How did you even get in here?"

The blonde shook her head gently, causing her long ponytail to sweep against her back. "I'm not hurt." She said, answering Peggy's first question and then snorting at the second. "It wasn't easy, that's for sure. You live in a tiny little fortress, Peg." Dottie's teasing tone didn't match the sudden grim look on her pale face. "Which is a good thing."

Peggy was as close as she dared to get to the Russian trained assassin and spy until she knew what the hell was going on. Something about the other woman was seriously off, and Peggy just couldn't put her finger on what it was. "Why are you here, Dottie? What's going on?"

The darkness that had overcome Dottie's face suddenly vanished, replaced by the saccharine sweet, wholesome expression she had used all those years ago at the Griffith. "I've brought you and your dime store Sophia Loren a little Christmas present." She smiled brightly while jerking her chin over her shoulder towards the massive Christmas tree in the corner of the room. "Go on, have a look."

A hundred different things ran through Peggy's mind as to what Dottie could have possibly placed under their tree, everything from a bomb to a dead body. As she slowly made her way over to a spot in the room where she could both see under the tree and keep an eye on Dottie, Peggy kept her hand ready to draw her thigh pistol. Her muscles tensed and coiled in preparation for a fight, or to defend herself, or to leap clear of a blast. Her senses were acutely aware of Dottie's slightlist movement, and every little sound around her. None of that prepared her for what she actually found under the tree. Resting on top of a non-descript black duffle bag, wrapped tightly in what appeared to be motel towel was a newborn baby.

"I'm afraid my gift comes with a tremendous favor, Peggy." Dottie said when she saw Peggy register what she was seeing. "I need you to keep her safe."

Peggy approached the infant as if it still might be a bomb, gingerly lifting it into her arms as if she expected it to explode the moment she touched it. Having held Howard's son mere hours after his birth, on top of the way Dottie looked, Peggy could easily deduce that the infant wasn't more than a day old, perhaps even only a few hours old. It was alive, Peggy could see it's little chest rising and falling, and as she settled it into the crook of her arm it squirmed a bit but remained asleep. Slowing lifting her head from the sight of a newborn in her arms to the woman now standing by her sofa, Peggy simply demanded, "The bloody hell!?"

The baby whimpered in Peggy's arms. "Now now, Peggy, nice and calm for baby's sake, if you please."

Peggy tensed up, her dark eyes widening a little as she sooth the baby, rocking it, and cooing softly. Dottie's words had just settled into her brain, I need you to keep her safe. Her. It was a newborn baby girl, with a whisper of reddish blonde hair, and oh so very tiny in Peggy's arms. Looking back up at the woman near the sofa Peggy kept her voice gentle, soft, but still commanding and firm. "Explain. Now."

"You're the only person I can trust to keep her safe." Dottie replied honestly. "You won't have to worry about the father. He's dead. The last thing he ever did on this mortal coil was make her." Dottie smirked, but her trademark grin faltered quickly. Her dull eyes started to glimmer a little with tears as she continued. "You have to keep her safe from them." She knew Peggy knew who she meant. "If they ever found out about her, Peggy, they'd take her and they would make her into what I am. I don't want that for her. So I'm giving her to you, because I know she'll be safe, I know she'll get from you and Angie what I can't give her."

Peggy blinked. "Dottie." She wanted to raise her voice so badly, she was nearly trembling from the restraint. "You can't just show up and give me your baby!" She hissed, and then flinched when the baby began to whimper. There was no doubt in Peggy's mind that the child in her arms was Dottie's, from the way Dottie looked she'd clearly given birth sometime in the last twelve to twenty-four hours. There was also the very clear heartbreak in Dottie's eyes, which Peggy honestly found the most shocking of this whole exchange. Apparently under all that Red Room training, Dottie still had a heart that could break.

"I can, and I have." Dottie said firmly. "And don't even think about giving her to anyone else, like that butler and his wife, they're going to have their hands full raising Stark's brat. I'm entrusting her to you, Margaret Elizabeth Carter, you owe me."

Narrowing her eyes Peggy glared at the other woman. "I don't owe you anything."

"Oh please." Dottie snorted. "If not for me you'd be in a miserable marriage with a man not nearly good enough for you, instead of your lady love."

Hadn't she just thought that very thing earlier today? She glared at Dottie until she noticed the other woman's sad blue eyes looking at the baby in her arms. The pain that fluttered across Dottie's face, Peggy could see her heart crumbling further, and she instantly softened. "Dottie, please, let me help you, let me help both of you. I can make arrangements, give you both a new…"

"You are helping me, Peggy." Dottie said, forcing her gaze away from the baby to look at Peggy as she moved across the room towards them. "She will have a better life with you than she could ever have with me. You'll make her into a good person, a strong woman, someone she can be proud of being." Standing in front of them now, Dottie reached out and caressed the baby's cheek as tears welled in her eyes. Leaning down she whispered something in Russian into the baby's ear and then straightened and looked at Peggy with a warm smile. Reaching out she slid her hand along Peggy's jaw to the back of her neck, "Now kiss me good-bye, Peggy dear."

Peggy was sharply aware of two things as Dottie kissed her. One, this kiss felt different than any other goodbye kiss they had ever shared because it felt like a final goodbye. And the second thing was that even though it didn't appear as if she were wearing lipstick, the sudden woozy feeling Peggy felt before going slack in Dottie's arms told her the bitch was in fact wearing knock-out lipstick.

There was a rather unpleasant thudding in Peggy's head as she slowly started coming too. She seemed to be laying down on a somewhat narrow, soft, surface with something soft and padded at her back. The sofa? Had she fallen asleep on the sofa when she was meant to be getting ready for a night out with Angie? Shit! Peggy thought as she groggily tried to sit up. Angie was going to be pissed. But unexpectedly falling asleep on the sofa when she knew she had someplace to be wasn't like her at all. Slowly Peggy's head began to clear. Dottie. Dottie had been here, hadn't she? Surely that whole thing had been a dream. There was no way that Dottie Underwood had just dropped in out of nowhere and given her a newborn baby to protect.

"Oh thank goodness. Ms. Carter, you're finally awake."

Peggy pried her eyes open to find Javis crouched before her with a concerned look on his face. "Mr. Jarvis." She moaned as she lifted her hand to her head as if she could squeeze the thumping away. "What happened?"

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us, English." Angie said softly as she appeared over Jarvis' shoulder. "I knew you wanted to surprise me for Christmas, hon, but this is a bit over the top, don't cha think?"

"Bloody hell." Peggy said when she saw the tiny swaddled babe in Angie's arms.

"Best make her a strong cup of tea, Eddie." Angie said as she moved around the tall Englishmen so she could sit beside Peggy as the other woman massaged her temples. Shifting the baby in her arms to the crook of one arm, Angie reached over to rub her lover's back.

"Yes, of course." Jarvis replied with a nod as he stood up and then walked out of the room.

Peggy groaned softly. "Not that I mind seeing Edwin, but why is he here?"

"Because, I came home red hot and ready to lay into you for missing the show," Angie began honestly as she shifted from rubbing soothing circles on Peggy's back to brushing her long chestnut hair over her shoulder, and then slipped her hand to the back of Peggy's neck to rake her nails gently at Peggy's hairline. "But when I walked in I found you passed out on the couch and crying baby under the Christmas tree. I didn't know what else to do but call Eddie."

"He hates it when you call him that." Peggy moaned, as she turned her head to look at the baby Angie was holding.

Angie smiled a huge playful smile. "I know, it's why I do it." She watched Peggy watching the baby for a moment and then asked, "So what's the deal with this little Christmas angel, Peg?"

Peggy took a deep breath as she reached out to touch the baby as if she needed to make sure she was real, and then she began to explain what had happened. Jarvis had returned just as she began her tale about finding Dottie waiting, finding the baby under the tree, and Dottie's pleas to protect the child. It still seemed more like a strange dream than reality but the baby girl in Angie's arms began to fuss and reminded Peggy that it was all too real. She had an innocent newborn baby in her care and she needed to figure out what to do, and quickly. Looking up at Jarvis she said, "Can you get one of Howard's most discreet doctors, one that can be trusted without doubt, over here as soon as possible to examine the baby?"

"Of course, Ms. Carter." Jarvis said with a nod.

"We should ask him to call Howard too." Angie said as she gazed down at the baby whose eyes were now open and staring up at her. She smiled warmly down at the baby as she continued speaking to Peggy. "He can help with whatever cover story you come up with, and I'm sure he knows a few people who owe him that will help with all the legal stuff."

Peggy, who had been focused on watching the baby as her own thoughts ran wild in her head, lifted her gaze to Angie's warm, smiling face. She blinked once, slowly, and then opened her mouth to speak only to find no words. She realized that she was watching the woman she loved falling in love with the baby in her arms, the baby that Peggy wasn't even sure they were going to keep. Yes, Peggy could keep the child safe. She had made damn sure she was able to keep Angie as safe as she could, but there was still a certain amount of risk to her being in Peggy's life. There was more to raising a child than keeping it safe, and Peggy wasn't sure if she could give the baby the kind of life a child deserved to have. Peggy might not be out in the field as much as she used to be, but she was still the head of an international agency tasked with keeping the world safe, and that took up a lot of her time and energy. What was left over was for Angie, for them, did she have enough in her to add a child to the mix?

"What'ch'ya thinkin' 'bout English?" Angie asked softly, her blue-green eyes staring into Peggy's big brown eyes. "You look damn near scared to death sitting there all zoned out."

Peggy bit her lip and then sighed softly as she admitted, "I'm not sure keeping her is a good idea, Angie."

Angie raised an eyebrow at that, and then she smiled as she placed the baby in Peggy's arms. "I get it, Peggy, I do. The thought of having a kid, it's scary. A kid means huge changes that will shake up everything about our lives. And it won't be easy, I mean it ain't like we can get married, so to the outside world, you'd pretty much be a single mother. But you wouldn't be, Peg, we'd be a family, you, me, and her."

When Angie placed the baby in her arms Peggy's breath hitched and she was half afraid of letting go of the air trapped in her lungs because it might startle the baby. A family, the three of them? A smile tried to pull at Peggy's lips at the thought but she fought it for a moment. Finally she looked up and let it come. "You would be a wonderful mother, Angie."

"What?" Angie said, cocking her eyebrow again. "And you think you wouldn't?" The look on Peggy's face said she was about to agree with that and Angie snorted. "Bullcrap. I watch you with Tony, you're wonderful with that boy and he freakin' adores you. It's not a matter of if you would be a good mother, Peggy, because you would be. It's about whether or not you want to be a mother."

"Do you, Angie?" Peggy asked. "It's not really something we ever talked about."

"I ask you first." Angie replied, glaring just a bit at her girlfriend to let Peggy know she wasn't going to get out of answering the question.

Peggy sighed softly. She looked down at the baby in her arms, the wisps of blondish red hair that could tip either way as she grew. The same with her eyes, blue, green, a mix of both, at this point it was anyone's guess. She was so very tiny, and for a moment Peggy wondered what kind of care Dottie had been able to get while she was pregnant. As she traced the baby's features with her eyes she allowed herself a moment of honesty. "I can see the traits Anthony gets from Howard, Maria, even Edwin and Ana." She smiled a small careful smile. "And perhaps a time or two I've allowed myself to wonder what parts of you would I see in our child, what traits of mine would they have."

"Now's our chance, Peggy." Angie said softly. "Might be our only chance, and this little one, she's going to need someone special to love her, and let me tell you something Margaret Elizabeth Carter, there is no one more special to be loved by than you."

That actually made Peggy blush. "Oh, I don't know darling, I think being loved by you is something pretty spectacular."

While Jarvis was well aware of the nature of their relationship he was still very english and open displays of affection made him uncomfortable, so Angie made sure the kiss she and Peggy shared was short but sweet, a quick but meaningful declaration of love that has lasted far beyond all the hopes, wishes, and dreams of her twenty-something year old self as she pinned for the beautiful brunette sitting in her booth and living in the room next to hers.

The doctor who arrived was Howard's personal physician, loyal, trustworthy, and honestly a little afraid of Peggy so she knew that he wouldn't go blabbing to anyone about the abandoned newborn she was harboring. The baby was a bit small, Peggy hadn't been wrong about that, but otherwise healthy. Peggy made sure to give him a little extra payment, even though she was certain Jarvis had already settled with the man monetarily, not only to ensure his discretion but also as a way of showing her gratitude for his coming out on Christmas day. She also made sure to thank Jarvis, who had been amazingly supportive from the moment she regained consciousness. He'd made sure they had enough baby supplies to get them through the week, he even brought them a cradle which he set up in their room for them.

"I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Jarvis." Peggy said as she walked him to the door of the brownstone and watched him slip into his coat.

"No thanks are required, Ms. Carter." Jarvis replied.

She smiled at him, and fought the urge to hug him. "Apologise to Ana for us, and thank her for letting us borrow you. We've kept you from her all day, on a holiday, no less."

"Once she hears the reason why she will be thrilled." Jarvis reassured. "But I will gladly pass on your message."

"One more thing." Peggy said after looking over her shoulder towards Angie and the baby in the living room. This was crazy, this was absolutely crazy. It was all happening so fast her thoughts had yet to catch up with her emotions, and before rational logical decisions could be made she was leaping in head first. "I need to speak with Howard, no need to cut into his holiday with Anthony, but the sooner the better."

Jarvis smiled a knowing smile. "We shall be here within a day or two."

"Thank you." Peggy replied.

After locking the door behind Jarvis Peggy headed back to the living room where Angie sat on their sofa cradling the baby as she fed her the doctor recommended formula Jarvis went out to get as soon as the doctor had left. There was something soft and peaceful about Angie that Peggy had never seen before, and it flooded her with a kind of warmth she'd never felt before. It was a rather wonderful feeling, Peggy noted, one she wouldn't mind feeling more often.

Looking up from the suckling baby in her arms Angie smiled at Peggy. "Not exactly how I expected today to go."

Peggy laughed softly as she made her way across the room to join Angie on the sofa. "Yes, it's certainly a Christmas to remember."

Once Peggy was settled beside her Angie looked at her and smiled. "I heard you tell Mr. Fancy to bring his boss by. Does that mean you've made up your mind?"

"I have." Peggy said with a nod. "She needs us, Angie, and quite frankly, I think we need her too."

Angie squealed softly which disturbed the baby causing her to let go of the bottle's nipple and cry. "Sorry, sorry, sweetie." Once the baby was soothed and suckling again Angie beamed up at Peggy and said, "She's going to need a name you know."

"I've been thinking about that." Peggy replied as she watched Angie shift the baby from the crock of her arm to her shoulder. "What do you think of Natasha? It means born on Christmas."

"Natasha." Angie said with a joyous smile. "I like that." The baby burped softly and Angie laughed. "I think so does too."

"Natasha it is then." Peggy said as she accepted the newly named Natasha from Angie. "Hello poppet. You've had quite the day haven't you?" She said softly, her dark eyes locked with Natasha's bright ones. "I want to make you all kinds of promises, Natasha, but the only one I'm certain I can keep is that I will do my very best for you."

"We both will." Angie said as she snuggled into Peggy's side while reaching out to trace the baby's chin with her finger. "Your Mummy and I can also promise we'll love you, always, no matter what."

Peggy's breath hitched. "Mummy?"

Angie smiled and kissed Peggy's cheek. "I assumed you'd want to be Mummy, unless you're gonna go all American on me, English."

"Perish the thought!" Peggy huffed in faux indignation.

"Well then," Angie said brightly. "Miss Natasha Carter, it's settled then, this here is your Mummy and I'm your Ma, and the three of us, we're going to be a family."

"A family." Peggy repeated softly. "Not quite what I wanted for Christmas." She chuckled softly. "But honestly, I think it's all I ever really wanted. A family," She looked up at Angie and smiled a beautiful smile. "With you."

"You must have been a really good girl this year." Angie said with a teasing laugh as she leaned in to kiss Peggy. "Merry Christmas, English."

"Happy Christmas my loves." Peggy replied.


	2. Chapter 2

The radio was turned down low in the background, Someone to Watch Over Me filling the living room of a faded red brick brownstone in Brooklyn New York. Peggy Carter sang along quietly as she held firmly to the bottle of formula her unexpected Christmas gift was slowly chugging down. In the forty-eight hours since she and the woman who was as good as her wife, had made the decision to keep the newborn girl left in Peggy's care, something deep inside Peggy had shifted. This tiny little creature with her blue-green eyes and reddish blonde hair had captured Peggy's heart in a way that only two other people had ever managed. While her love for Steve, and her love for Angie were vastly different than the love blooming in her heart for this innocent little child, it was just as strong, just as fierce, and it filled Peggy with a warmth like nothing she had ever known before. Natasha slow blinked up at her as her suckling began to slow and Peggy shifted from soft singing to soft humming as the baby began falling asleep. Peggy was so entranced by the baby that when the doorbell rang she actually jumped, startling Natasha awake.

"Don't let her fall asleep without burping her first, English." Angie said as she made her way towards the door. "She'll wake up screamin' with a belly ache."

"Yes dear." Peggy said teasingly as she pulled the bottle's nipple from Natasha's mouth with a soft pop before shifting the baby to her shoulder. "Despite evidence to the contrary, Nattie, your mother is the bossy one not me."

When Angie returned from answering the door she had Jarvis and Howard in tow. Jarvis hadn't mentioned what Peggy had needed him for, so when Howard stepped into the room to find Peggy holding a small baby in her arms he blinked and squeaked out, "What the hell is that?"

Peggy raised an eyebrow as she replied. "I know Anthony is five now, but it hasn't been that long since he was a baby, surely you haven't forgotten what a baby is Howard."

"I know what a baby is, Pegs." Howard grumbled in response. "What I meant is, what are you doing with it?"

"Her." Peggy corrected. "She is a her, and her name is Natasha, and I'm adopting her. Which is where you come in." After placing a soft kiss to the baby's head, Peggy handed her over to Angie before filling Howard in what had happened with Dottie, and what they were now going to do to ensure the baby's life with Peggy and Angie.

Over the next few days while Peggy worked with Howard on the legality of keeping Natasha as their own, Angie worked with Ana Jarvis on making room for the baby in their home. She decided the spare room closest to hers and Peggy's would be perfect for a nursery. And because she didn't want to leave Peggy out of the process, she would randomly appear to ask Peggy seemingly random questions.

"Hey English, how do you feel about Disney?" Angie asked after popping her head in to Peggy's study while she and Howard had their heads together as they came up with an infallible cover story for the baby.

Peggy looked up, slightly confused. "I suppose their interpretation of Winne the Pooh isn't awful, and Mickey Mouse is rather iconic."

Over dinner Angie asked, "Hey Peg, did you ever have pets when you were a kid?"

A fond, faraway smile tugged at the slightly older woman's lips. "My father was very fond of spaniels, so we always had one around. We had this one, she was a beautiful reddish chocolate color, Dutchess, she was my favorite."

While Peggy was preparing to meet with Howard's lawyer friend, Angie asked, "What kind of kiddy books did you have over in England, English?"

"The normal kind I suppose." Peggy said with a laugh.

"Well, what were some of your favorites?" Angie asked as she stepped up behind Peggy to wrap her arms around the taller woman and press her cheek into Peggy's shoulder. While the questions had been about gathering ideas for the baby's room, it had turned out to be a wonderful way for Angie to get to know the woman she loved better, and Angie was enjoying that.

Peggy hummed softly as she thought about it. "Anything with knights and dragons. I really enjoyed the King Arthur tales, as well as Sherlock Holmes. The Little White Horse, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and The Secret Garden were also ones I would read over and over."

Angie used Peggy's answers to fill the new nursery with small details that called back to their own childhoods. She chose a wallpaper with flowers in muted, warm colors, that Jarvis said could be easily found in any proper English garden. The furniture was white, the bedding in the crib matched the color of the plush armchair and ottom near the bookcase, and the padding in the rocking chair in the opposite corner. Jarvis helped Angie put in a storage bench under the window which was currently occupied by vintage stuff Winne the Pooh characters, and Angie's old Mickey Mouse. Angie's old Raggedy Anne doll was nestled against the pillow on the armchair as well. The shelves of the bookcase were lined with all the books Peggy had mentioned as well as a few of Angie's favorites, including her collection of Nancy Drew novels, the first book of Shakespere she ever owned, and several plays. In the crib were two brand new, super soft, plush animals; a reddish brown cocker spaniel and a gray tabby cat that looked like the one Angie had as a kid. And because Angie would always be Angie, a good Catholic girl from Brooklyn, even though she were no longer welcome in the Church, a small wooden cross was hung over the entrance door while a Brooklyn Dodgers pennant was hung over the closet door.

"Darling, it's perfect." Peggy said with a bright smile as she took the finished room in.

"You really think so?" Angie asked a bit nervously. Her eyes flickering to the top of the bookcase for a second. She had hidden Howard's contribution to the room, a Captain America teddy bear, up there out of Peggy's line of sight. She knew how Peggy felt about such things. To this day she loathed the radio show and had nearly had an aneurysm at the rumors of turning it into a television show. Peggy had glared so hard at Howard after finding the comic books, trading cards, and action figures in Tony's room that Angie was pretty sure she had been trying to kill him with a glance. So she'd hidden the bear for fear of raising her love's blood pressure, and to save Howard's neck.

Peggy nodded before kissing Angie gently, mindful of the baby in her arms. "Nattie is very lucky to have you, as am I my darling."

After returning from Hollywood and dealing with the Dark Matter issue, Peggy had found herself in yet another bit of trouble. Thompson had been attacked, and while looking into that some files had come to light linking M. Carter to some serious allegations. The whole damn SSR had jumped to the conclusion that M. Carter had been their very own Margaret Carter, when it had been her brother Michael. Michael had been captured and brainwashed, turning him into an enemy agent, but Peggy had been able to apprehend him and get him the help he needed to undo the experimental brainwashing. He paid for his crimes and was now living with his new wife, trying to rebuild his life.

Peggy was startled by the hand that suddenly appeared to help her out of the back of her car and nearly reacted out of instinct before seeing who the hand belonged to. When she did she smiled, her big brown eyes going a bit wide with surprise as she allowed herself to be helped out of the car. "Michael?"

"Hi Peggy." The tall, dark haired and doe eyed man said as he pulled his little sister into a warm embrace.

Peggy easy returned her brother's hug. "Well this is a lovely surprise. What are you doing here?"

Michael raised an eyebrow at the question while watching his sister dismiss the driver. "What do you think I'm doing here?" He replied as they made their way up to the front of the brownstone. He waited until they were behind closed doors before continuing. "You send me a message about becoming a mother and you don't think I'm going to come straight away to help you?"

Confusion washed over Peggy's features as she hung up her coat and set aside her briefcase. "Help me? That's lovely, Micheal, but you don't know the first thing about children."

"Well, no, but nor do you." Michael replied. "I can at least help you set things right before the baby arrives. Really, Peggy, what were you thinking? Though honestly I'm not surprised." He shakes his head as he follows her into the living room of her home. "So, who is he? And why has he not done the right thing already?"

"He who?" Peggy turns to look at Michael, her hands already going towards her hips. "Michael, what are you bloody on about?"

"The father." Michael says firmly. "Who is the father and why hasn't he married you?"

It took a moment for it all to click in Peggy's thoughts and when it did, she began to laugh. "I'm not pregnant you git."

Michael blinked. "But you said…"

"That I was becoming a mother?" Peggy cut him off with a nod. "I am." Shaking her head at him she waved him over to the sofa and after they'd settled she explained. "A friend of mine and her husband were in an accident, they didn't survive, but the baby she was carrying did." She paused for a moment, a soft sad sigh passing her lips. "Following the war neither of them had any remaining family, so I've adopted her." Angie might have been the actress in the family, but Peggy wasn't half bad herself. She easily let her expression of grief over losing a friend morph into a look of joy as she continued. "Her name is Natasha." Peggy beamed happily at her brother as she told him of her daughter. "Congratulations Michael, you're an uncle."

Michael sat there for a few moments taking it all in and sorting through his thoughts and feelings on the matter. Then he looked at his sister and smiled warmly. "I'm sorry for your loss, Peggy. You would think after all this time we wouldn't have to face that kind of loss again. It's most unfair." He paused a moment, talking about that time in their lives was not easy for him. Then he looked at his sister and said, "Taking the baby in was very kind of you, Peggy."

"But." Peggy said, narrowing her eyes at the tone of her brother's voice.

"Was that really the best choice for her?" Michael asks. "I mean, you're a single woman, Peggy. Don't you think…"

"I am not a single woman." Peggy's voice was low and biting. Michael had always known Peggy wasn't like other girls, that she wasn't ever going to be the prim and proper lady their mother had wanted her to be. He use to encourage her to be true to herself, not to settle for less than what would make her happy. This aspect of her life however seemed to be something that he simply could not get behind. "And you bloody well know it."

Michael growled softly. "Let's not have this conversation again, Margaret."

"Apparently we must because you still don't seem to comprehend, Michael." Peggy responded. "Angie, in every way that matters, is my wife." Her voice was strained to keep from yelling at him, knowing that somewhere in her home were said wife and their new child, and she didn't want to disturb either of them. Peggy was tired of having this conversation with Michael. Their parents had accepted her choice in life partners, though they still struggled with their old beliefs, they knew that Angie loved her and that Angie made Peggy happy. So why couldn't her stupid brother? "And a bloody better one than your Abigail might I add."

Angie had heard Peggy come in, followed by the sound of her voice as it carried through the house to the study where she'd been reading over a new script. She was bubbling with excitement about telling Peggy about the new play she was about to start workshopping, but that excitement fizzled away as she approached the living room. It wasn't until Peggy said his name that Angie recognized who she was talking to, and when she realized what they were talking about her heart sank. Amanda Carter had out right asked Angie if she loved Peggy, and Angie had answered with a firm yes. She had then asked if she loved Peggie enough to let her go if it meant Peggy's happiness, and again Angie had answered yes, though it would break her to do so. Apparently that had been enough to gain the elder Carter's approval,if not totally acceptance just yet, and once she'd gotten that Harrison Carter hadn't been far behind. Michael on the other hand seemed stuck in his ways.

"I want you to leave, Michael." Peggy's voice said from the living room. "And then you have a choice to make. You can either accept me for who I am, and who I love, and the life we are building together. Or you can leave me and my family the hell alone and never bother with us again."

Angie made her way back down the hallway she'd just come down, and back into the study. Walking over to Peggy's desk she picked up the phone and punched one of the pre-programmed buttons. She felt a stab of pain in her heart on Peggy's behalf when she heard the front door slam shut as she waited for the line to be picked up. When she got a response she smiled. "Hey you big galoot, it's Angie." She paused. "Yeah, well, I should be swell, but, look, I need your help. It's for our best girl. She could really use a little reminder right now that she's got people in her life that have her back no matter what."

Outside the brownstone in Brooklyn dusk was creeping over the city. Inside Peggy sat behind the antique desk in her study looking over paperwork that needed her attention and a proposal from Howard about building a SHEILD facility in Washington DC. Her door was slightly ajar, allowing the warm smells of dinner cooking in the kitchen to waft in as a reminder that she couldn't stay behind her desk all night. It also allowed her to hear the sudden pounding on the front door, causing Peggy to look up and frown. It wasn't very late, but it was well past the socially acceptable time to call on someone's home unannounced. Pushing to her feet Peggy considered reaching for her pistol and slipping it into the waistband of her trousers, but she didn't have a bad feeling about who could be at the door, only a bit of annoyance. Her plans for the evening involved enjoying the baked ziti Angie had made, giving Natasha a bath and then reading her to sleep, then falling into bed with Angie beside her and sleeping for as long as their baby girl would let them. It did not involve welcoming uninvited visitors.

All of Peggy's annoyance melted away and her biting remarks died on her tongue when she looked out the peephole and spotted a familiar looking figure in an old bowler hat. Pulling open the door Peggy smiled as she greeted the man on the other side. "Timothy!"

"Hiya Peg!" The large burly man with the sweet smile and bright eyes known as Dum Dum Dugan replied.

Peggy invited her old friend inside and behind closed doors hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you, Timothy." She said as the hug lingered just a bit. When Dum Dum finally released her she took a step back and smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now tell me what you're doing here."

"What?" Dum Dum said as he tried to look as innocent as possible. "Can't I just come and see ya? Besides,I heard there was a new little Howlin' Commando to meet." He smiled as he held up an old army green duffle bag. "And ta brin' her presents from all her favorite uncles."

The gesture touched Peggy and it showed in the sparkle of her dark eyes, but before she could respond verbally a voice from the top of the stairs captured her attention.

"Hey English, did I hear someone at the door?" Angie asked as she slowly made her way down the stairs with Natasha in her arms.

"You did." Peggy said with a nod while gesturing towards Dum Dum. "You remember Timothy Dugan."

Angie shot the man a grateful smile as she nodded her head. "I do, it's nice to see you again Dum Dum."

Dum Dum quickly removed his hat and nodded towards Angie in greeting, slipping in a wink while his bowler blocked his eyes from Peggy's view. "You too, Angie." When he caught sight of the baby in Angie's arms, Dum Dum's whole face lit up. "Is that her?"

Peggy beamed as she nodded, her smile only growing brighter when Angie handed over the baby. Peggy held Natasha so she was facing out towards Dum Dum as she walked towards him. "Natasha, this is Mummy's friend Timothy."

"Aww Peggy, don't teach her to call me that." Dum Dum said with a crinkle to his nose. Reaching out with a massive but gentle hand, the ginger retired soldier offered his index finger for the baby to grasp. "Hello sweetheart, I'm your Uncle Dum Dum." Natasha took hold of Dum Dum's finger and he smiled. "Gosh Peg, she's beautiful, and a redhead to boot."

"Not that you would be bias towards gingers." Peggy teased before inviting him into the living room and offering him a seat on the sofa. "Bourbon?"

"American?" Dum Dum replied.

"Of course." Peggy tisked as she handed Natasha back her Ma so she could make them all drinks.

Once they were all settled in, Peggy sitting beside Dum Dum and Angie on the arm of the sofa with their daughter in her lap, Dum Dum began pulling out the gifts sent to Peggy's daughter by the Howling Commandos. The first thing he pulled out was a teddy bear with a ginger mustache, that wore an army green coat and a bowler hat.

"Ok, that's the cutest stinkin' bear I've ever seen." Angie said with a soft chuckle.

Peggy smiled happily as she accepted the toy. "It's brilliant Tim."

The second thing was a tiny green army style jacket meant to fit a one year old. It looked just like the uniform jackets they had worn during the war. A small patch over the front left pocket read 'N. Carter'. On the back of the jacket was a large patch that read 'Howling Commandos' curved along the top, 107th Infantry Regiment curved along the bottom, and in the middle was, 'Mini Howler #10' When Angie asked what it meant Dum Dum happily explained that each Howling Commandos' kid had a number starting with Gabe Jone's son, Jacques Dermier's daughters were two and four, "My Libby is number three, Roger is number five." Pinky Pinkerton's sons were six and nine. "The twins, Sean and Jonathan are seven and eight. Little Miss Nattie is the tenth, and sometime this summer, I've got eleven and twelve covered."

"Another set of twins?" Peggy barked in amused surprise while clutching the thoughtful gift to her chest. "Good god Dum Dum, stay the bloody hell off Lorraine!"

That caused Dum Dum to let out a full belly laugh that made Natasha's little eyes go wide as she jumped, and then look up at her Ma as if to ask, what the bloody hell was that noise!

"Don't worry Peg." Dum Dum said as he reached for another gift. "She was pretty much done after the boys, so after the doc confirmed she was pregnant again she wouldn't let me come home until I got snipped."

"Hell, Dum Dum, she was done after Elizabeth and Roger." Peggy shook her head and tisked at him with amusement. "Then you two spend a week in Hawaii and she and Elizabeth are outnumbered by two."

"Two weeks in Scotland, left the kids with her folks." Dum Dum said with laughter and pride. "She's really hopin' this set are girls." His smile was still a cocky one as he handed Peggy the next gift, a crocheted Union Jack blanket. "Pretty sure Falsworth made it himself."

Dum Dum stayed for dinner, insisted on telling Natasha a bedtime story, and stuck around for a night cap and a game of cards. Having him around, having him interact with Angie as he would any of the other commando's wives, had been just what Peggy had needed after her encounter with Michael. She had loving, accepting, brothers who she would happily watch be apart of her daughter's life. As she slipped into bed that night, pulling Angie close, she placed a kiss to her love's shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?" Angie replied.

"No reason," Peggy replied with a knowing smirk. "Just because."

The morning of Natasha's christening, something Angie had insisted on, was spent in a judge's chambers finalizing her adoption. From there they went to the church where Howard and Ana would become Natasha's godparents. Ana had been such a huge help with adjusting their lives to their little Christmas surprise, and Howard had done everything in his power to make it all legal and safe. Peggy had to do a bit of investigating to find a minster willing to participate, given the fact that the child had two queer mothers, and her godmother was Jewish, but for Angie, Peggy would move heaven, hell, and earth to make her happy.

Peggy watched as the minster from Vermont poured water over her daughter's ever redding hair in a state of disbelief. She had the woman she loved at her side, the work she was meant to do, and now a child of her own. How was this Peggy Carter's life?

As they lingered in the church, the new godparents and their invited guests cooing happily over the newly christened Natasha Elizabeth Luisa (her mothers' middle names) Martinelli Carter (Angie reassured her that long names were traditional in her family) Peggy pulled Angie aside. Once they were alone she pulled the original Christmas gift she had picked up that fateful night for her love from her pocket and held it in the palm of her hand.

"Margaret Carter what is that?" Angie asked as her blue-green eyes darted between the small black velvet box and Peggy's eyes.

"The present I'd meant to give you Christmas morning." Peggy said as she opened the box to reveal a beautiful platinum band with small inset diamonds topped with a perfect princess cut diamond. "I know that we can't marry and have it recognized by law, but we can stand before God and those we love and promise to love, honor, and cherish one another always."

Angie's voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. "What are you tryin' to say, English?"

"Angela Luisa Martinelli, will you marry me?" Peggy said softly and then bit her lip as she waited.

"I'm all yours, Peggy." Angie replied with a nod and confidence that left no room for doubt that she loved Peggy Carter with all her heart and soul. "I always have been and I always will be."

"What are you trying to say, Angie?" Peggy repeated, voice cracking.

Angie laughed. "Yes, Margaret Eliazbeth Carter, I will marry you."

Tears of joy and happiness ran down Peggy's cheeks as she slipped the ring on Angie's finger and then pulled her in for a kiss, which only ended when they realized they had a cheering audience.

"Well, look at that Nattie," Dum Dum said happily. "Your moms are gettin' hitched."

"I call dibs on best man!" Howard called out as he bounced his best friend's baby carefully under the watchful eye of his co-godparent.

Peggy blushed, a softly chuckle shared between her and Angie as they parted and turned towards their friends and family. Feeling the need to deflect some of the attention off of them Peggy teasingly barked, "Who let Howard Stark hold my baby?"

"Aww gees, Peg." Howard teased back. "I only ever dropped Tony once, ok, maybe twice."

Peggy laughed as she took Natasha from her godfather's arms so she and Angie could cuddle their baby girl between them. This, this was the start of something unexpected and scary, and absolutely wonderful. And Peggy couldn't wait to see what this adventure had in store for her and her little family.


End file.
